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The Music in It

Saturday, April 29, 2017

It’s hard to believe that National
Poetry Month (and all of April) will have come and gone as of Monday. The Music In It received several
thousand hits during the month, and I’m grateful to all who visited and posted
comments and poems. My special thanks go to Basil Rouskas of California for
posting an amazing poem every single day!

There are still today and tomorrow left for National Poetry Month, but I thought I'd post for the rest of next week a couple of days early to stay in sync with posting on Saturday mornings. For our return to regular
prompts, let's ease back with something that’s uncomplicated
and enjoyable.

Guidelines:

1. Pick a poem you really like.
Read the poem twice, once silently, once aloud.

2. Jot down five words or phrases
from the poem that “speak” to you in some way (touch you emotionally or capture your attention or
imagination).

3. Reflect for a while on the
words and phrases that you selected.

4. Write down any thoughts or
images that the words or phrases you chose inspire.

5. Write a poem using one or more
of the words or phrases and also include some of the thoughts and images
they inspired.

Tips:

Make sure the words and phrases
you choose are compatible in terms of the content you develop.

Include only those selections
that are absolutely pertinent, and use your own creativity to alter them.

Don’t try to
imitate the poem you used as your inspiration. Make the poem uniquely your own.

There
should be nothing superfluous in your poem: no extra words, no extra syllables.

Avoid explanations of what you’ve written in your poem: trust your images.

Don’t undercut your poem’s
“authority” by ending with trivia or a “so what” line that doesn’t make your
readers gasp.

Don’t conclude with a sentimental
or emotional statement (both sentiment and emotion may be heartfelt but, when
they’re blatantly stated, they can detract from the power of your poem).

Don’t close the door on your
poem; leave it slightly ajar.

Link the end of the poem to the
beginning but not overtly—and don’t over-write.

WELCOME!

THE MUSIC IN IT

"The Music In It" is a blog for anyone interested in poets and poetry—the craft and the community.

The title comes from Countee Cullen, who wrote: "My poetry, I should think, has become the way of my giving out whatever music is in me."

Look for a new prompt or guest blogger every week or every other week, usually posted on Saturdays, and check the archives for older prompts and posts. Be sure to click on the poetry-related links in the sidebar.

MY NEWEST BOOK

Click on the cover image to order.

ABOUT NOT ASKING WHAT IF

"Kenny has written some of the most hauntingly beautiful spiritual haiku I’ve ever read—haiku that take us as close to divinity as human language can get. Her haiku are spare and commanding, rich in imagery, and layered with meaning." (Alex Pinto, Tiferet)

“Traditional haiku, environmental haiku, psychological haiku, spiritual haiku—Adele Kenny has done them all. Her haiku are spare and powerful, always nuanced with rich symbolism. Her images and juxtapositions make readers hold their breath in wonder.” (Malachy McCourt, Author of A Monk Swimming)

A LIGHTNESS, A THIRST, OR NOTHING AT ALL — BOOK TRAILER

WHAT MATTERS

ABOUT WHAT MATTERS

"In Adele Kenny's finely wrought meditations on grief and loss, she never forgets that she's a maker of poems. What Matters straddles two of the exigencies of the human condition: diminishment and endurance. It abounds with poems that skillfully earn their sentiments." (Stephen Dunn, Pulitzer Prize in Poetry)

"These are poems that come to (poetic) grips with the issues of grief, fear, and death ... focused in a new and strong way." (Gerald Stern, National Book Award in Poetry)

BLOG AUTHOR PROFILE

I’m the author of 24 books (poetry & nonfiction) with poems published in journals worldwide, as well as in books and anthologies from Crown, Tuttle, Shambhala, and McGraw-Hill.
I’ve worked as a guest poet for numerous agencies, have twice been a featured reader in the Dodge Poetry Festival, and my awards include two poetry fellowships from the NJ State Arts Council, the 2012 International Book Award for Poetry, and the Distinguished Alumni Award (Kean University). My book, A LIGHTNESS, A THIRST, OR NOTHING AT ALL, is a 2016 Paterson Prize finalist. In March of 2012, I was appointed Poet Laureate of Fanwood, NJ by the Borough Mayor and Council.
A former professor of creative writing in the College of New Rochelle’s Graduate School, I’m founding director of the Carriage House Poetry Series and poetry editor for Tiferet Journal. I give readings and conduct both agency-sponsored and private poetry workshops.

MY WEBSITE

REALLY FUNNY (Bulldog Reading Dylan Thomas)

HOW TO READ POETRY – Funny!

ATTENTION HAIKU POETS

If your area of interest is haiku and its related forms, click the image above for a list of journals (published in various countries) that might interest you.

ON THE TIP OF YOUR TONGUE

Ever find yourself in the middle of a poem and unable to find that one perfect word? Here's the link for a site that provides synonyms, antonyms, related words, similar sounding words, and much more. Easy to use!